A sampling of current research on the benefits of mindfulness for body and mind.

Ninety chronic pain patients following the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School reported less present-moment pain, less difficulty with physical activity, and fewer medical symptoms than those following traditional pain treatment.

A recent Swedish study found that the practice of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy caused a 42% reduction in the primary symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

Binge eaters who took part in mindful eating programs at Duke University and Indiana State University reduced the frequency of their binging by approximately 75%. They also reduced their levels of insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes.

Studies from the University of Manchester and the University of Montreal found compelling evidence that people who meditate have a higher pain threshold in comparison to people who don’t meditate.

At the University of Washington, patients in recovery for substance abuse took part in a Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention program. Two months later, they reported 50% lower substance abuse levels and significantly less craving than the group in regular treatment.

A study from the Cleveland Clinic reported that mindfulness practice decreased negative emotions and increased well-being in people with risk-factors for coronary artery disease.

Mindfulness meditation helps people with multiple sclerosis cope with the depression, fatigue, and anxiety associated with the disease, reports a Swiss study in the September 2010 issue of Neurology.

Working with clinically depressed patients in remission, a study at Oxford University found that only 36 per cent of patients in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy eventually relapsed, compared 62 per cent of patients in traditional cognitive therapy.

Barry Boyce is a professional writer and editor who was longtime senior editor at the Shambhala Sun. He is editor of, and a contributor in, The Mindfulness Revolution: Leading Psychologists, Scientists, Artists, and Meditation Teachers on the Power of Mindfulness in Daily Life (2011). He is also the co-author of The Rules of Victory: How to Transform Chaos and Conflict—Strategies from the Art of War (2008).

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